


Cynophobia

by ChocolateCapCookie



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Canon Compliant, Domestic Avengers, Established Relationship, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, One Shot, POV Steve Rogers, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Precious Peter Parker, Short & Sweet, Steve Rogers & Tony Stark Friendship, Steve Rogers Is a Good Bro, Tony Stark Is a Good Bro, again kind of, but not rlly, honestly theres not that much angst tho, so just, supportive boyfriend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-05 03:01:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20481752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChocolateCapCookie/pseuds/ChocolateCapCookie
Summary: Tony forces Steve to do an interview for Avengers' PR, and he drags Bucky along with him. They expect a long boring day of answering long, boring questions.What they don't expect is for Bucky to come up against one of his greatest fears.





	Cynophobia

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so not to give away any spoilers, but Bucky's experience in this is based almost entirely on that of a friend of mine who has the same problem. If you guys think there's anything that's incorrect or offensive, please let me know!
> 
> This is just a short stupid thing I wrote at 3 in the morning 'cause I couldn't sleep. I hope you guys like it!

“But I don’t want to!” pouted Steve, sounding more like a 5-year old than his actual 101-year old self. Tony rolled his eyes, making sure Steve could notice.

“Cap, you’re the only Avenger so far who hasn’t been professionally seen in public. There’s only so many excuses Pepper can give the press. And you’re the guy who _ should _be at the forefront of our PR. I mean, you’re the symbol of our country! You were literally a touring show guy! Compared to that, an interview on some unknown late night show is no big deal.”

Steve pulled his face into a scowl as Tony tried to fix his tie. Tony had said it was stupid, that nobody wore a full suit-and-tie get-up to a talk show, but Steve didn’t care. If he _ did _ have to parade himself around in public, he might as well look good. For some reason, SHIELD didn’t let him walk around in his Captain America suit. “Safety reasons” they said, which was stupid because 1) That was his brand, barely anyone recognized him without the star-spangled suit, and wasn't the point of the interview to get publicity for the Avengers, not Steve? and 2) What kind of safety reasons would be a problem for Captain America? But Steve hated arguing with Fury, so he listened and argued with Tony instead. Much easier.

Tony sighed, clearly done with Steve’s attitude. “C’mon, Steve, we already agreed to do this, there’s no point complaining. Look at Barnes over there, acting like the perfect angel.” Tony snorted and mumbled under his breath, “For the first time in his life.”

Steve glared at Tony, but didn’t say anything, instead turning to give his boyfriend an appreciative look. He was glad Tony had listened to this one demand: Steve had absolutely refused to go on a show alone, and Pepper’s compromise had been to send him with Bucky. Steve doubted it was for his benefit, though; Clint had secretly told him that viewership interest was much higher when people realized the Avengers’ power couple was being interviewed, and not just Captain America.

Bucky had apparently taken Tony’s advice, because he wore a plain t-shirt and khakis with a simple blazer on top. The t-shirt was short-sleeved, because Bucky already knew he’d be asked to show the metal arm at some point during the interview. He looked _ beautiful, _and Steve walked over to give Bucky a soft, lingering kiss. Bucky smiled, but didn’t say anything, gearing up his nerves for the interview.

Tony coughed irritatedly from the other side of the room. “Save something for the honeymoon, Capsicle!” he called out, prompting Steve to glare at him again. Bucky grabbed his hand to stop him from saying anything snarky back at Tony and squeezed it tightly, and Steve squeezed back just as hard. As much as he hated this, at least he’d had some experience with it. Bucky was much more nervous than he was, and Steve decided to put away his feelings and focus on making his boyfriend feel better.

  
  
  


He would never tell Tony this, but the interview was actually nice. Pepper had set them up at some relatively unknown show, so the studio audience wasn’t too large, and Steve could relax and answer questions at ease. The interviewer was quite nice as well, and even Bucky was relaxed enough to answer questions and make a few jokes.

Still, Steve couldn’t wait for the interview to be over, and he discreetly looked at his watch, noting that there were almost 20 minutes left. What the hell could the interviewer ask them to fill another 20 whole minutes?

He got his answer quickly enough. The interviewer (what was her name? Shit, he had no idea, he’d have to ask Bucky) asked the couple to walk in front so they were standing right in front of the audience. The screams and camera flashes increased, which was hell for his poor enhanced senses, but he tried his best to ignore them and focus on the interviewer (Sally? Susan? Sarah?)

“So this is a new segment we’re running from today, called ‘Dog-gone it!’” She paused for the audience members to laugh, although neither Steve nor Bucky got the joke. “This segment is based on Buzzfeed’s hugely popular series where celebrities are interviewed while playing with puppies. Buzzfeed’s premise is increasing the number of puppies as the interview goes on, but we decided to switch it around and make it a little game!” Pause for more cheers. Sometimes the serum could really be a curse.

“The rules are simple,” said the interviewer (Saoirse? Samantha?), turning to Steve and Bucky. Steve hastily rearranged his face to look like he was listening. “We’ll ask you a trivia question, and for each question you get wrong, there’s a penalty! And since our guest today is Captain America, our questions are all American history themed!” God. This woman was nice, but boy was she enthusiastic. Her squeaky voice got annoying to listen to after some time, and the screams from the audience weren’t helping.

“Wait, what’s the penalty?” asked Bucky in that smooth, charming drawl of his. The interviewer (Steve really had to learn her name, it was hard repeating “interviewer” in his head all the time) laughed flirtatiously. “Oh you’ll see, Sergeant Barnes,“ she said, winking at him. Before Steve could gather the energy to become angry though, she turned and shouted at a door in the opposite wall. “Bring out the dogs!”

And oh, the sight of the open door was like heaven. At least fifteen medium-sized dogs rushed out with high-pitched barks, rubbing themselves on Steve’s legs and play-fighting with each other. Steve’s heart melted, and he immediately knelt down and gathered an armful, a huge grin on his face.

“They’re so cute!” he said, beaming; his day had just gotten so much better.

“Do we get to play with them?” he asked the interviewer, not caring if he sounded like a child.

“Ah yes, but here’s the twist! For every question you get wrong, one dog will be taken away! When the last dog is gone, you’re out!” She grinned. “You wouldn’t want these poor doggos to go away would you?” And Steve, staring into a particularly adorable golden retreiver’s eyes, wanted to go to college and complete a degree in American History right then and there, just to make sure he could keep the dogs around.

He turned to look at Bucky in excitement. “Aren’t they adorable, Buck?” he squealed, but stopped dead at the look on his boyfriend’s face. 

Bucky was frozen in terror, standing at the edge of the stage. His eyes nervously followed the dogs’ movements, and Steve could see him shivering slightly anytime one of the dogs came near him. One of the smallest dogs, an adorable Labrador that Steve could tell was still just a puppy, seemed to find Bucky’s sneakers very interesting, and went over to sniff them. Bucky flinched and pulled his shoe away, his breathing becoming heavier and more labored.

Steve was confused. What the hell was happening? He got his answer less than a second later, as Bucky lifted his head away from the dogs and caught Steve’s eye. Bucky’s eyes were filled with tears.

The audience members and the interviewer were busy cooing over the puppies, so Steve silently dropped the dogs in his arms to move next to Bucky. “Buck, what’s wrong?” he asked quietly, hoping none of the microphones around them would pick his speech up. Bucky didn’t say anything, didn’t even move his head to look at Steve. He remained unmoving, shaking and looking like he could burst into tears at any moment.

Steve was high-key freaking out, as the kids said. (Yes, Steve used the internet. His response to anyone who was shocked by that was _ I’m old, not incompetent._) Making a split-second decision, he grabbed Bucky’s arm and pulled him out of the back door of the studio. Bucky didn’t say anything, didn’t react at all, as he followed Steve outside. ‘Followed’ wasn’t even the right word; he was stiff, unmoving, staying still as Steve dragged him along.

Luckily, there happened to be a men’s bathroom two feet away, and Steve pushed Bucky inside, locking the door behind them. Bucky was full on shaking at this point, his breaths heavy and irregular, his eyes wet and his fists clenched. He didn’t seem aware of where he was, or even that Steve was there, staring ahead blankly.

“You gotta talk to me Buck, babe, tell me what’s wrong, please,” begged Steve desperately. He wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, and that seemed to do the trick. Bucky broke down in Steve’s arms, crying into Steve’s shoulder. Steve was seriously fucking confused, but he held Bucky tightly, whispering softly into his ears and gently rubbing his back.

It took a couple of minutes for Bucky to calm down, but once his crying had slowed, Steve lowered the toilet lid and helped Bucky sit down, still keeping one hand on his back to help him stay grounded. Bucky slowly calmed down, although his hands were still shaking, his eyes were red-rimmed, and his breaths were slightly labored.

“What happened out there, Buck?” asked Steve gently. “It wasn’t the crowd, was it?” Steve would never forgive himself if he’d dragged Bucky to this interview when he wasn’t comfortable with it. But then again, Bucky had done interviews before, more intense ones with Sam and Scott and Clint. All three of them were idiots, and if Bucky hadn’t had a full-on panic attack in interviews with them, then there was no way it was Steve’s fault here.

“I’m so fucking stupid,” Bucky mumbled, so quiet that Steve could only pick it up because of his enhanced hearing. His voice was hoarse from crying, and Steve knelt down to look Bucky in the eye.

“Don’t call my boyfriend stupid, mister,” he said, and Bucky laughed slightly at that. Steve smiled. Okay. Bucky was going to be okay.

“It was the stupid dogs,” said Bucky louder, but still quietly. “Don’t laugh at me, Stevie, okay? I'm-” Bucky took a deep breath, steeling himself. "I'm fucking terrified of dogs.”

Steve looked back at Bucky’s red eyes, confused. “What?”

Bucky let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Yeah, I know, I know,” he breathed. “That’s gonna be the next big headline. The Winter Soldier, Hydra’s most dangerous assassin, the White Wolf...scared of dogs.” A full-body shudder went through him. “I’m so sorry, Stevie. Horrible timing to have a panic attack.”

“Buck, why didn’t you tell me?” Steve asked, softly. “I’ve known you for a hundred years, and you never once thought to mention your serious fear of dogs?”

“It’s stupid,” Bucky mumbled, hiding his face in his hands. “Who the hell is afraid of dogs? And if I’m not strong enough t’ deal with those tiny shits, how’m I supposed to deal with Hydra and everythin’ else?”

“Hey, hey, Buck, c’mon, don’t be like that,” said Steve, pulling Bucky’s hands away from his face, and pressing a soft kiss to both his wrists. “I’m just saying, this seems like a big thing that should’ve come up before, babe. You should’ve told me.”

Bucky just shrugged. “I just avoid dogs. If I hafta be around them, or if it’s like a stray, I just...try and pretend it’s not there. I dunno why it hit me so hard today, probably ‘cause it was, like, a real surprise.” Bucky groaned and hid his face again. “Please don’t tell the others Stevie. This is so stupid.”

“It’s not stupid, Buck,” said Steve gently. “You can be afraid of whatever you want. It’s not anything you need to be embarrassed about. And honestly, it’s a good thing you told me now, instead of waiting ‘til I got us a puppy as a wedding gift.”

Bucky laughed and wiped the last of his tears away on his sleeve. He stood up and washed his face, washing away all the makeup Tony and Pepper had carefully applied on their faces an hour or so ago. Bucky managed to clean himself up well enough, but his eyes were still swollen and red-rimmed, and he was not in any way presentable enough to go up in front of an audience. Steve knew he probably looked the same way, his tux wrinkled where Bucky had clutched at him, and his tie covered in Bucky’s tears. He looked at Bucky, tired and covered in snot and tears, and smiled to himself at how much he loved his boyfriend. He pressed his lips softly to Bucky’s, wiping away any remaining tears.

“You wanna just go home, Buck?” Steve asked, and Bucky’s smile was all the reply he needed.

  
  
  


“I gave you _ one job, _Rogers. Just one fucking job! And that was to sit and answer questions for 45 minutes! It wasn’t like I asked you to kill Thanos or bring me back to life again!” Steve sat patiently, watching Tony fuming in front of him. He mentally smiled at how much Tony resembled Nick Fury in that moment.

“D’you know how much damage control Pepper and I had to do? I actually had to get involved in this! I don’t even fucking know why!” Tony huffed and fell on the couch next to Steve.

“What happened there, Cap? I saw the footage, and the producers of the show said you two had locked yourself in a bathroom for a really long time before they saw you leave. Are dogs like a secret kink for you two or something?”

“Tony, no, what the hell!” Steve squeaked, blushing. What the fuck did Tony have going on in his genius brain?

“Well what was it then? Did the two of you suddenly get explosive diarrhea at the same time? Cause that’s all the explanations I can think of." Tony paused. "Unless you found Sandra so annoying that you just had to leave. Is that the explanation I give them?"

"Oh, right, her name was Sandra. I knew it was something like that," said Steve. Tony looked at him, an eyebrow cocked, and Steve sighed. _ Forgive me, Buck. _“Bucky’s afraid of dogs,” he admitted. He kept his voice low, quiet enough that no-one would be able to overhear, except Bucky with his serum-enhanced ears. “Like, properly, shit-your-pants terrified. I didn’t know. He had a panic attack with all of those dogs around, and I had to calm him down.”

“Oh,” said Tony, duly quietened. “Poor Barnes.” He was silent for a moment, thinking. A second later, a grin spread across his face. “I know I shouldn’t be finding this funny, but there’s something wonderfully ironic in a guy named the White Wolf being afraid of dogs.” Tony chuckled, unable to hold it in. Steve huffed, but smiled anyway.

“Yeah, well, keep it to yourself. Buck’s embarrassed enough already because I know. He’d lose his mind if everyone else found out.”

Tony nodded solemnly at Steve, zipped his mouth and threw away the key.

  
  
  


Tony’s gesture was completely useless, because Steve had forgotten Bucky and him weren’t the only enhanced individuals in the building. Peter had heard the entire first half of the conversation, and had web-swung away to spread his newly-earned information faster than a viral infection, conveniently missing the part where Steve told Tony to keep it a secret. Bucky had a horrible few days, with Sam and Clint barking, woofing or in some other way imitating dogs every time they came anywhere in his vicinity, or petting Bucky’s head and going “Who’s a good boy?” Peter constantly followed Bucky around, apologizing. “I’m so sorry, Mr Winter Soldier, sir, I only told Mr. Hawkeye and Mr. Falcon, I dunno how everyone else got to know, but I’m really sorry, sir, I didn’t mean for everyone to know, I didn’t know it was a secret, Mr Barnes…-” on and on, until Bucky patted the kid on his head and told him it was fine and not to worry. No-one else would have gotten away with it, but Bucky always had a soft spot for skinny, scrawny kids with too much mouth. Case in point: Steve himself.

That night, Bucky collapsed into their bed with a groan. “Worst decision you ever made was becomin’ friends with Wilson,” he grumbled. “Barton’s a close second.”

Steve smiled and pulled him in for a passionate kiss, his hands wrapping around Bucky’s waist and Bucky’s metal fingers caressing Steve’s jaw.

“If you ever want revenge,” Steve murmured softly against Bucky’s lips, “I happen to know they’re both terrified of chickens." Steve could feel Bucky’s evil grin on his lips, and smiled to himself.

Tomorrow was going to be one hell of a day.

**Author's Note:**

> i finally wrote something that's less than 5k words, woohoo.
> 
> i'm more of a SteveTony person than SteveBucky, so I have no idea if my characterization of Bucky is correct. If it's not, I am so sorry, and please let me know how I can fix it.
> 
> Please check out my other works, and comments and kudos are v appreciated :)
> 
> Thanks for reading, and I love you 3000!


End file.
